40K Lore: The Actual Adeptus Titanicus
The Collegia Titanica is sometimes called the Adeptus Titanicus by those who are unaware of their full purview. Come learn what exactly they do, Loremasters.
Greetings Loremasters, today we shall be speaking of the Collegia Titanica, colloquially deemed the Adeptus Titanicus–they have a storied history and fulfill an important function in Imperial life, not just “blasting traitors with the force of a thousand suns,” and we’ll hear no more of that Loremaster-initiate Crenshaw do I make myself clear. So gather around Loremasters, as we delve into the administrative breakdown and structure of the Collegia Titanica.
You’ll note that our friends in the Adeptus Arbites have secured the doors Loremaster-initiate Crenshaw, because this material has been deemed Culturally Imperative for all members of the Lexicanum staff. Please affix your cultural appreciation hoods and let us begin.
The Collegia Titanica was formed before the Age of the Imperium and was the primary military arm of the Adeptus Mechanicus before the union of Mars and Terra. After the Treaty of Olympus, the mighty war machines of the Collegia Titanica joined the Legio Astartes and Imperial Army in the Great Crusade to conquer much of the Galaxy. As this new Imperium expanded, the Adeptus Mechanicus took many worlds for themselves. These planets were settled and converted into Forge Worlds, and became the bases of new Titan Legions.
There was of course some minor skirmishing among traitor factions during the Horus Heresy, but it is unimportant, because the thrust of the matter is that the Collegia endured. And to this day, its Divisions survive, a testament to the strength and gravity of its traditions. Traditions you would do well to learn, Loremaster-initiates. There are four divisions altogether: Divisio Mandati, Divisio Telepathica, Divisio Investigatus, and Divisio Militaris, which includes the famed Battle Titans, but we need not discuss them. Their performance is but a minor subset of what people expect from Titans.
Now, each of the divisios is then further divided into a number of “Legions” or “Orders”: groupings of Titans such as the Fire Wasps Legion or War Griffons Legion. Each Legion is a self-contained unit headed by a Grandmaster.
Legion strength is typically around 50 operational engines. Battle losses can take centuries to replace, as the construction of a new Titan is a long and laborious process. The Warlord is the most commonly found class while the Imperator is by far the most formidable but an increasingly rare sight on battlefields. Though there have been rumours of a stronger class that existed during the Great Crusade (possibly the Apocalypse class).
Titan Legions are deployed only in the most vital campaigns and on battlefields that will allow them the room to manoeuvre and unleash the full power of their colossal weaponry. But let us discuss one of the more important Divisios: the Mandati.
The Titan Orders of the Mandati are known as “Executive Orders”. They travel in vast temple-spacecraft, responsible for bringing the Pax Imperia to independent human worlds. Each temple ship carries a small but potent number of the immense Emperor Titans, plus priests, regular troops, maintenance adepts and support personnel. A single Temple Ship can bring multiple worlds back under the light of the Emperor. Full of loyal and hard-working members of the Administratum and the Adeptus Terra, the Mandati ensure that worlds that would otherwise fall to Chaos or other darkness remain loyal.
An easy task, especially given that each Emperor Titan is its own self-contained unit, carrying members of the Adeptus Arbites, the Inquisition and the Adeptus Terra. It is through this combination of persuasion and vast firepower that many worlds are brought into the fold of the Imperium. The elite of the Mandati’s orders are known as “Missionary Orders” – they travel beyond the known areas of space, often accompanying Rogue Trader missions.
Want to learn more about the Adeptus Titanicus? Check out the Lexicanum!
And remeber you can’t spell culturally significant and imperative knowledge without Imperator Titan.
